Rise Of The Apes first image

James Franco is everywhere at the moment – including in the first image released from upcoming Planet Of The Apes prequel Rise Of The Apes .

Donning savvy, techy headgear, Franco is here shown busily working away in his lab, where we presume he’s carrying out his experiments in search of a cure for Alzheimer’s.

Which is the launchpad for the prequel’s plot, in which Franco’s scientific experiments lead to the creation of a super-smart sentient ape (played by Andy Serkis).

With its clean, unfussy trappings, this first look at Rise is certainly enticing, if nothing completely earth-shattering. Expect more ape-oriented imagery to crop up as the film’s release crawls closer.

Franco, lest we forget, is set to host the Oscars this Sunday alongside Anne Hathaway. He’s also up for a Best Actor gong for his performance in 127 Hours.